“Hi, hon,” Ray said, offering his customary greeting.
Amy set her mug down. “Hi, Gail.”
Both were already dressed. Amy looked fresh and bright, her hair caressing her long neck, her makeup flawless. Belatedly, she realized Amy wasn’t wearing any makeup.
Gail sighed and offered a frazzled “Good morning.” The words were out of her mouth before she realized she was breathless from her sprint from the bedroom. She ran her hands through her hair, horrified to find a virtual rat’s nest. “Ray, why didn’t you get me up?”
“I thought you’d enjoy sleeping in for a change.” He poured coffee into a third mug waiting on the table in anticipation of her arrival. “There’s still batter left. Want some pancakes?”
“No. Coffee’s fine.” Sunlight assaulted her through an east-facing kitchen window. She squinted at the two of them sitting there as comfortable in each other’s company as an old married couple. “How long have you two been awake?”
“I got up around six,” Ray said.
“The bed in the guestroom is very comfortable,” Amy told her. “Between that and my pain medication, I slept like a rock until about seven-thirty or so.”
“Good.” Gail remained in the doorway, trying to finger-comb her hair into something that might pass for a hairstyle. “Were you able to get around on your own this morning, Amy?”
“Pretty much. I had a little trouble maneuvering myself out of the bed and into my wheelchair, but Ray helped. With a little more practice, I should have the technique down and be able to do it on my own.”
“That would be nice.” Gail yawned and took note of Ray’s wardrobe selection: a casual pair of gray Dockers and a less-than-immaculate sweatshirt. Favorite off-duty attire.
“Hey, it’s comfortable,” Ray said, recognizing the look.
“Fine. I guess I can live with that,” she said, backing away. “Let me go put myself together. I’ll be back in a bit.”
Gail hurried upstairs to their bathroom. Her fresh-from-bed hairdo and the hint of dark circles under her eyes made her cringe. Just under thirty minutes later, she came down the stairs and grabbed the phone in the living room. “Ray, it’s Dick.”
“Thanks. I’ll be right there.” He hurried from the kitchen and snatched the handset from the cradle. “Hey, Dick. What’s going on?”
Waverly’s baritone voice came back with a chuckle. “How’s your ‘staycation’ going, buddy?”
“My what?”
“Your staycation,” Waverly repeated. “You know… a vacation when you don’t go anywhere. You sound beat. Is having two full-grown females under the same roof too much for you?”
“No, it’s sleeping on my couch that’s the problem.”
“So, you got booted out of your bedroom. Can’t say I’m surprised. I told you having Amy there wasn’t a good idea.”
“Relax. It wasn’t Gail’s idea. Amy is staying in our first-floor guestroom. If anything happens, I plan to be on top of the situation.”
“And Gail doesn’t have a problem with those sleeping arrangements?”
“I didn’t say that.”
Waverly laughed. “I knew it. I love Gail, but oh, buddy… You must be some kind of masochist.”
Ray looked over his shoulder to make sure no one was within earshot. “Gail knew we’d have to make some minor adjustments with Amy here.”
“Wish I could help.”
“Hey, if you want to help, get this damn case closed. Either you do that or Roth had better come through with a contingency plan sooner than expected. If one or the other doesn’t happen, I may end up looking for another place to live.”
Waverly laughed. “Sorry, buddy, but if your marriage is riding on my closing the case in the next forty-eight hours, you might wanna start looking for new quarters now, ’cause it’s not looking good. Benedict’s got himself a solid alibi. The Conleys… Forget about them.”
“Okay. Where do things stand with the Retzingers?” Ray asked.
“I’ve all but ruled both of them out. When I couldn’t locate Curt Retzinger the day of that staircase incident, it crossed my mind he might’ve skipped town with his kid after rigging those steps. Turns out he spent the night in the third precinct’s drunk tank. He got shitfaced and raised hell in some dive over there. They hauled him in around eight o’clock and didn’t release him until after Amy Conley was carted off to the hospital the next morning. And as far as Ronald is concerned, he’s been laying low.”
“Maybe for good reason,” Ray suggested.
“Yeah. I’m not ruling him out yet but, he’s a little too tall for what we’re looking for.”
“Wait. A height range was established?”
“Didn’t I tell you? You’re gonna love this, buddy. Those lab guys slay me. After I gave them the exact height of that heirloom storage bench at Amy Conley’s place and the distance to those light fixtures, they did a little simulation using some of their more height-challenged techs. They even put ’em in Nikes View II walking shoes to make sure the thickness of the sole was right. They measured the reach of one male and one female tech, who were the same height. The guy must’ve been like the Indian Rubber Man at one of those old-time carnival side-shows, though, ’cause he stretched three inches higher than the woman. Stronger ankles maybe. Lab techs… Gotta love ’em.”
“So what did they come up with?”
“They say our perp is likely to be between 5’3” and 5’6”. Short, just like we thought. It’s something, but I’d give a month’s pay for a DNA sample. A little spit. A few strands of hair. A fingernail. Anything.”
“Crap,” Ray grumbled.
“Know what?” Waverly said. “All this chit-chat is holding me up. There’s something I’ve been meaning to do. I’ll get back to you later.”
36
Hanging out at home was a luxury for Ray, not one he usually wasted by sitting around idly. But while Gail went about her daily routine and Amy tried to stay immersed in a book, he was forced to set his normal activities aside. His role evolved into becoming more of a presence than a participant.
At supper, Ray sat at the dining room table, prodding a piece of beef with his fork. He’d been at it for three minutes.
Gail laid her hand on his forearm and assured him, “Don’t worry, it’s dead.”
“What?”
“Never mind.”
Letting his fork drop against the edge of the plate, Ray looked up, shaking his head. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard this much quiet here before… not during waking hours anyway.”
Amy handled her coffee mug absentmindedly. “I feel awful that you had to move your kids out of the house on my account.”
“A couple of days away won’t kill them,” Ray said.
“Or us,” Gail joked. “Besides, our kids are probably loving it.”
“Well, I’m disappointed. I was looking forward to seeing Laurie and Krista again. And Joey... I really hoped I’d get to see him.”
“I can tell you this much,” Ray said, “he can be a real handful.”
“No three year old worth their salt isn’t. I’m glad you showed me their pictures at least, Gail.”
“No one has to twist my arm.”
Ray chuckled. “Joey’s constantly in motion; Krista is exploring her options, and now that she’s thirteen, Laurie’s turning my hair gray.”
Gail got up and started gathering the plates. “I hope you’re taking notes this time around, Ray. Krista turns thirteen in another three years.”
“There’s a cheery thought,” he said.
In an effort to be useful, Amy busied herself gathering whatever utensils she could reach from her wheelchair.
“Thanks,” Gail said, taking them from her. “I’ve got this.”
With that, Amy excused herself and retreated to the guestroom while Ray’s chair scraped along the hardwood floor as he got up to answer the phone.
Minutes later, Ray stood outside Amy’s door, hesitant to knock. The news Waverly h
ad just delivered was exciting to Ray as a detective, but disturbing on a different level.
He rapped on the guestroom door. “Amy, it’s me”
“Come in, Ray.”
“My partner just called,” he said, stepping inside. “There’s been a new development.”
“Usually,” she said, “I’m not a glass-half-empty sort of person, but that sounds pretty ominous.”
He didn’t offer false reassurances. “What can you tell me about Liz Dunham?”
Her eyes rolled. “Are you going to start that again? It’s a waste of time. I told you, Liz is a friend.”
“Listen to me,” he told her. “This is serious, and I’m going to give it to you straight. My partner checked the records at Abbott Northwestern . They confirm that Liz Dunham was not at work the night your husband was killed. She lied.”
“Maybe… Maybe she got that night confused with another.”
“Not likely. Detective Waverly went to the hospital to discuss it with her, but they said she didn’t show up for work today. She didn’t call in either. That’s not a good sign, Amy.”
“There must be a reasonable explanation.”
“I’m sure there is, but it may not be what you’re hoping for. It’s been determined that whoever used your storage bench to loosen those light bulbs on your second floor had to be quite short—around Liz Dunham’s height.”
“Okay, so Liz isn’t Paul Bunyan. That doesn’t mean she had anything to do with it.” Amy’s breaths came in short, ragged bursts. “There has to be some kind of mistake.”
“I hope you’re right,” Ray said.
Her voice became shrill with desperation. “You and Detective Waverly don’t know her like I do. The whole idea that she’s involved in this is crazy.”
“Amy, I form my opinions based on facts not wishful thinking. It’s starting to look like Liz Dunham may be responsible for what’s happened to you and your husband.”
“What reason would she have?”
“I hoped you could tell me.”
“Well, I can’t.”
“Then Detective Waverly will have to make sense of it.”
“But it can’t be Liz, Ray. I was with her when my stairs were rigged.”
“Look, ordinarily, if you fell asleep downstairs, you probably would’ve heard whatever went on down there. That night, though, you were more like passed out than asleep. Isn’t that what you said?”
“All right, yes. But my locks had been changed. How could Liz have gotten in?”
“There are ways around that.” Before Amy could reply, he held up the palm of his hand, hushing her. “Did Liz come inside when she dropped you off that night?”
“Only for a second.”
“That’s all it takes, Amy. She could’ve turned the lock on her way out, or slipped a piece of tape over the latch or across the hole in the strike plate to keep the door from closing properly. Any of those things would’ve worked. She could easily have let herself back in later on while you were out for the count, then removed the tape or flipped the lock again on her way out, and you’d be none the wiser.”
“I can’t believe it was her.”
“Listen to me. She’s missing and her car’s gone. Detective Waverly has issued a BOLO for her, Amy.”
“BOLO?’
“It means ‘be on the lookout’. So far there’s been no sign of her, Amy. She’s vanished.”
There were no more tears, only a blank stare.
“Amy, are you all right?”
She didn’t answer.
Concerned, he crouched in front of her. “Listen to me. It’s going to be all right. We’ll figure out what’s going on.”
She flung her arms around his shoulders and buried her face against his neck.
“Anybody up for another cup of coffee?” Gail appeared in the doorway and stopped in her tracks, her face frozen in disbelief. “No, I guess not. You two go ahead. Don’t let me disturb you.” She slammed the door and fled up the stairs in tears.
“Oh crap.” Ray took Amy by the shoulders. “I’ll be back. I’ve got to—”
Amy waved him away. “Stop talking. Hurry. Go!”
37
Ray sprinted up the stairs to the master bedroom, relieved to find she hadn’t locked the door.
Gail turned to face him as he entered. “I want her out, Ray. I want her out right now.”
“You’re overreacting, Gail.”
“Oh really? She makes a play for you in our house, under our roof, and I’m overreacting?”
“Hold it. That’s not what was going on. What you saw doesn’t require an apology, just a little bit of understanding on your part.”
Gail swept a forearm over her eyes. “What’s that—your version of ‘the best defense is a good offense’?”
Ray went to her. “Babe, she needed a shoulder to cry on, and mine was handy.” He kissed Gail and wrapped her in his arms. “There’s nothing more to it than that.”
She pulled away. “She wants you, Ray.”
“Bull. Even if she did, she can’t have me.”
“Do you think I’m stupid? Amy’s young and beautiful. I’m not blind, Ray.”
“Oh, crap. All right, neither am I. Amy is attractive. Very attractive. So what? You are, too. I run into gorgeous women on a regular basis; that’s never bothered you before.”
“Until now you never invited one of them to sleep under our roof.”
“Lord, help me.” His chin dropped to his chest. “Babe, that was your idea, not mine, remember?” He looked her in the eye. “Believe me, Amy doesn’t have any designs on me, and even if I were wrong, it wouldn’t matter because I’m yours lock, stock and barrel. And for your information, I wouldn’t have it any other way. You’re the one I love. You’re my wife, the mother of my children.”
“Two of them anyway.” She sat down on the foot of the bed, covering her face to conceal the mounting tears.
None too gently, Ray took Gail by the arms and lifted her back onto her feet. “All of them are my children. I have three. Three!” He caught himself shouting and lowered his voice to a low growl. “You listen to me, Gail. Mark Haney may have fathered Joey, but I’m his dad, and that’s never going to change. Don’t you ever imply he means less to me than Krista and Laurie. Not ever, you hear me?”
She struggled to speak through her tears. “I’m sorry, Ray. I’ve never questioned your love for Joey. He won the jackpot with you for a father, but sometimes I see him tilt his head a certain way or see how he smiles like…” Gail took a shuddering breath. “There are times I see traces of Mark in him, Ray, and the guilt comes flooding back with such force it takes my breath away.
“Don’t you understand?” she said. “I couldn’t imagine myself with anyone but you—never wanted to be with anyone but you, but it happened. Now, with Amy back in your life, I’m scared you could make the same kind of mistake. The temptation is staring you right in the face. Amy’s young and beautiful, and with my track record—”
“Wait a minute. Is that what’s at the bottom of this—your affair with Mark Haney?” He shook his head and took her by the shoulders. “Look at me.” He saw tears pooling in her eyes. “I thought we got past that. And why is Amy even a concern? You’re creating a problem where none exists. Forget it.”
She leaned closer. “It’s not as easy as that. It’s like waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
He held her at arm’s length. “Whoa. Am I getting this right? You think I’m holding that affair over your head like some sort of free pass to cheat on you? Babe, I don’t have that kind of tit-for-tat mentality.”
Gail lowered her eyes. “A lot of men—most—do.”
Ray’s grip tightened. “I don’t know where you get your statistics from, but don’t include me in that group. Not ever. We’ve got a great family, dings, dents and all, and I’m not going to do anything to jeopardize that.” He pulled her to himself. “I gave you the exclusive lifetime rights to me the day we got married—even before�
�and I’ll honor that promise as long as I live. The months we were separated were hell for me. The slate has been wiped clean. Don’t you know that?”
She pulled back and looked him in the eye. “Did you sleep with her, Ray?”
“What?”
“Back in Widmer… After Neil’s funeral… Did you sleep with Amy?”
In her voice, he heard no criticism, only a plea for an honest answer. “Gail, how did you—”
“After you left the cemetery, I followed you. I saw you and Amy go up to her apartment.”
The revelation struck him like a wrecking ball. “Oh, God, babe, I didn’t know.” Ray took Gail’s face in his hands. “All this time... Why didn’t you tell me?” In his struggle to find the right words, only fragmented bits of heartfelt apology made their way out. “Oh, crap. First that, now my interest
in her case… No wonder you thought… ” He stopped abruptly and ran his hands over his face. “Holy... Gail, I’m sorry. I probably couldn’t have made things look worse if I’d tried.”
In desperate need of an answer, her eyes searched his. “Did you sleep with her, Ray?”
It had been a closer call than he dared admit, but he answered truthfully. “No, Gail. I’ve never slept with Amy.”
Gail asked him nothing more—wanted to know nothing more. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him long and hard, before breaking the embrace. “You’ve got a situation downstairs; you’d better get going.”
“That’ll have to wait, babe. I’m not going anywhere until we’ve settled this.”
“We have. You go take care of business. I’ll be down in a while. I love you, Ray.”
He kissed her with tender passion, turned reluctantly and went downstairs to the guestroom.
At the sound of his knock, Amy opened the door, apologizing at the same time. “Ray, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to for that to happen. Is Gail all right? Are you—”
“Gail and I are fine. How about you?”
“I’m all right.” Both the lie and her attempt to smile were dismal failures.
“Okay, good,” he said. “Right now I need you to concentrate on giving me more information about Liz Dunham.”
Targeted: A Ray Schiller Novel (The Ray Schiller Series Book 3) Page 23